piquant777

I think Yale is great for people who want to go into academia, and pretty much not ideal if you want to do anything else. If you want practitioner skills, Gtown, SAIS or Fletcher would all be far better options. I only applied to show interest in a joint degree there, and the minute I found out I wasn't getting the $100 fee waiver I almost regretted hitting submit (but by that time had already finished the whole app, so it seemed petty...)

3eid I just got in at Jackson as well. What are your other options, do you think you'll go? It seems way too cloistered and academic for me, but I def have a much more practitioner bent. Also I don't think I'll ever get my funding letter since I'm (well out of the way) abroad; hope they send it by email.

4 years WE, 3 in developing countries. But it's sooooo academic, I'm sure they take professor recommendations, previous thesis research/publications (I have the former but not the latter) and GPA/GRE just as if not more seriously than WE. Maybe undergrad institution, too.

Ah, right, I remember. So glad Yale decided they could wait on your scores. I hope ETS compensates you or something, seriously. Hopefully this week is the week for all these schools.

Hey! Sorry for your dilemma This is a great forum though to get honest answers. I would say that your biggest problem isn't really undergrad GPA (though it isn't helping), but lack of relevant experience. Even if you had a full GPA point higher (say, 3.8) I would have given you only so-so chances because your work experience isn't that relevant to IR. Your year abroad was studying, not working, and a two-month internship isn't really enough to compensate. Working as an SAT/GRE tutor is also definitely not useful for your app and if you are going to apply again, I would get a job in your planned field of study ASAP. That being said it's going to take a lot of time and work to catch up to speed IMHO (i.e. prob not in time for next fall), so the best idea if you really are wedded to grad school now I think is to enroll at the school that already accepted you. Agreed that it would be helpful to know your planned field of study. If you were going for MPH or something in health then your experiences would look a bit more relevant (though quitting any type of school doesn't help and I would also address that tactfully in the personal statement).

Hey Clay Made, how can you still be completing an application that was due months ago...? Or is this for some kind of scholarship? Did I miss something? And who is Alice?

So excited for bgreenster and congrats again on the scholarship! The program looks great and I think I'm going to enroll, though of course I'm still waiting on my other decisions this one's going to be hard to beat. BMCGirl, the MGHD program seems to specifically be looking for people with significant work experience in development or at least developing countries. Def languages would help. I have 4 years of WE all in non-profit, 3 in NGO development in developing countries (2 of which were also Peace Corps!. Hope to see more people who were admitted and might end up in the program next year!

this is truly horrifying Clay Made, so sorry. I'm sure you'll get into other great places and I would def follow up pronto on the rest of your scores to other schools. What was ETS's explanation for this gross oversight?! Agreed though that a screen shot of you having sent the scores will be more helpful (with ETS and maybe with schools if it's not too late for them) than the date you took the test, since it is still your responsibility to make sure the score reports are ordered to the schools you want even if you take it on time. [Edit: read back in the thread and it seems you did the former already. That is ridiculous! ]

Heard from the Georgetown MGHD (Masters in Global Human Development) today. Full scholarship ($40k) -- over the moon! I think they are giving out limited full scholarships to attract people for the first cohort of the program. Something to keep in mind for future applicants who want to do development -- this is one of the only options out there for an actual degree in development, as opposed to an elective track in an IR program.

I'm an RPCV looking to go into the same field, specifically in the developing world. Feel free to PM with specific Qs as I've done a lotttt of research about it. I basically agree with MYRNIST that you should look less at the type of degree and more at the individual programs to see if they have good non-profit components. Whether or not you want to do this domestically or internationally will also make a big difference. Georgetown has this new Masters in Global Human Development that is basically an intl development practitioner's dream if that's what you want to do (it's less theory and more hands-on practice). Woodrow Wilson is the only school that centers its mission wholly around public service in any aspect (government or non-profit) and plus gives a full stipend...if you can get in. And Yale School of Management is the top MBA program for non-profit management (and gives full loan forgiveness if you make less than the student body's median salary!), followed closely by the Stanford GSB. MBA programs also accept the GRE these days, which make it easier if you want to apply to both types of programs or possibly do a joint. I did this this year and would be happy to chat with you more about it. Удачи!

Got the same email -- exciting! It def is an additional stage I think bc the cohort is so small and the program brand new. I wonder how many people applied this year (as opposed to the more well-known MSFS) and how many got an interview request.

Yes, but on the other hand they're basically all related to security studies/USG service which means only a minority of candidates really have a good shot I think. Unless they define "preventing terrorism" more broadly to include IR, development, etc.

haha. yeah, it was def a generic email (SAIS). so is anyone writing the scholarship essays? Also, does anyone know...for the 3 fellowship opportunities they sent, is only one of each award offered per class, or are there multiple ones for each?

Anyone looking for internships in the region should check out the Academy of National Economy summer program in Moscow. It's one of the most established in the region and previously the center ran Stanford's program in Moscow for a decade, then opened it up to people from other schools. The staff is incredible and you get to do an internship and take classes at the same time. http://www.study-in-moscow.ane.ru/home Hope this is useful!

@rose1 your work experience looks solid and I don't think they would penalize you for having a family emergency (but hopefully you or a recommender explained it thoroughly). Scores seem average-ish but GPA looks great. Unless something weird happens I think you're looking good. Sorry your LORs weren't in time for EN, that's a bit annoying. @JF I really don't think any of these more pragmatically-oriented policy or IR schools are great options for people coming straight out of college. From the POV of someone 4 years out of undergrad applying now, people seeking these degrees have first-hand background in the issues they're interested in, and are looking for similar perspectives in the classroom environment. Your "lack of 'professional experience'" will def be noted because as I understand this is one of the main critera by which they are evaluating all of us (if not THE most important). Other people on this thread seem to have higher stats but were not admitted without relevant work experience. That being said you do have relevant internship experience and it's good that your LORs reflect that, so maybe that will tip the scale somewhere. My stats (admitted early notification): top school, 4 years in non-profit, 3.6+, 95+ percentile on all GRE sections

Hmmm. If I were you I would try to find the stats on admissions rates. If the mid-career is a bit easier to get into because so few people meet the professional requirements (and I imagine that is true...a lot of high-level people prob aren't looking to go back to school whereas a million people 3-5 years out are applying these days) then maybe you should switch. Also if they are mailing you about your qualifications then that means they think that you do (at least technically) qualify for the mid-career degree. From what I understand I think you also save money on a year's less tuition? Either way I'd say the e-mail is a good sign that your app didn't just get tossed!

I haven't received anything, but have also been traveling. I wish they would e-mail instead of calling/snail mail.

still nothing here...though today is supposed to be the day? do they call or email or snail mail, does anyone know?

I spoke to the academic coordinator of the new GHD program today and clarified a lot of my original questions. It was a really helpful conversation as not all the info is available online, so I thought I would share: Gtown at this point has three different "tracks" by which you could do development. There's the MSFS major in development (which is not nearly as popular as the IR/security track there), the public policy degree development track, and the new GHD program. She explained that the MPP development route is very quantitative and policy based. The MSFS development route is more theoretical, giving a grounding in international relations as an academic discipline and treating the entirety of "development" itself as a specialization (which is obviously still not very specialized). In comparison, the new GHD program is a degree in development, with 6 further specializations within: Global Health; Environment/Climate; Food, Agriculture, and Rural Livelihoods; Public Sector; Education and Human Capital; (the final option is self-designed). The GHD is a practitioner-based degree that is very hands-on, which is evident in the curriculum options that were recently posted on the website (not so much traditional IR theory -- more courses like project design & management, finance and evaluation). In this sense it almost seems to share more with a b-school curriculum, and she said they would have a lot of cooperation with the Georgetown b-school particularly in the area of social entrepreneurship. The first GHD cohort will indeed be only 20 students. Of those, they are planning to offer 20% of the cohort financial aid (i.e. 4 people!). That aid will be partial, not full tuition (up to or less than half-tuition). They will provide matching funds to people on Pickering and other special fellowships, and are currently in talks with the Peace Corps Coverdell program but I got the impression that this wouldn't be finalized in time for this round. She couldn't speak to the number of apps or competitiveness since the deadline is still a couple weeks away. I imagine at least a couple/few hundred people will apply? They are going to look for minimum quant and econ skills in applicants, but she said basic micro/macro from college would be sufficient, and that they would also have a week-long refresher course for people. They have not ironed out any joint degree options yet, either in Georgetown or outside of it. It's in the works. The program is really for current practitioners continuing in the field, and she was pretty clear that they are not looking to take anyone who is right out of college. I would even deduce that people who are purely transitioning fields and have no experience in development itself would have a hard time getting admitted. They will have some GHD professors that are their own, and some adjunct faculty that will be invited. The rest of the elective courses will be shared with other departments/MSFS. They, again, want to have their own practitioner faculty who can speak to the processes in development and not just the theories...so people who have worked for World Bank, USAID, etc. Students will be placed with summer projects and also, if possible, school-year internships through the help of the GHD program. There will be a lot of personal attention that goes into this, since there are only 20 people. She said there would definitely be "kinks" and administrative issues to be worked out during the piloting of the program, which was my only reservation in our 'info session' that otherwise was great. She said the plus side of this is the first cohort is really going to help shape the program, their feedback will be solicited and will make a real impact (as opposed to being ignored in larger more established programs), and that GHD will count on their first graduates to really establish the rep of the program upon graduation. Otherwise, what GHD lacks in "establishment" (she pitched) it makes up for by access to Georgetown, a really well-connected and experienced director, and of course being in DC. Overall, especially with the new IR MA rankings that came out today, I think Gtown looks like a great option for a really select group of development practitioners who can manage to be admitted. It offers exactly the applied skills that I'm looking for, as after so long in the field I really don't want to go back to just talking about the issues theoretically without talking about how things work in real life. I am worried about the newness though, the "kinks" which could definitely be frustrating if they interfere with the whole experience (limited internship placements for example, course choices, scheduling, etc.)...and about the limited funding. I don't think I would (be able to) go for the full price tag, which means my shots are probably 1 in 100 (assuming a ~5% admission rate and 20% chance of scholarship). Eeek. But I guess the only way to not get it for sure is to not apply!

I would say take the 80% at Fletcher (!! Congrats on it by the way that is quite an achievement!), but that being said I do understand what you mean about school reps in Asia. Have you considered adding Yale to your list? They have a huge reputation in China and a lot of curricular focus on East Asia. Their IR program is much smaller, little known (there was some discussion of this on the other thread) and still hard to get into, but it seems more academic and would definitely hold name-clout (almost as much as H and definitely more than P, in China). I agree with other commenters that the main issue with your profile seems to be your lack of experience in public sector, policy, service or development. You shouldn't be penalized for wanting to switch sectors but since a lot of people are coming into these apps with Peace Corps and other clear grassroots international/service experiences under their belts, it will be a disadvantage to have done banking for all those years. I heard a rumor that a number of years back WWS got flak from some of their founders/donors about the # of people going into private sector after grad, as a lot of other IR/policy programs routinely send a chunk of their class into banking/consulting. Since WWS gives full funding in the name of public service so their grads make a commitment to public/non-profit sector work after graduation, it does seem clear that for them the main criteria (after making sure you are able to do the work) is the commitment to public service. That being said HKS seems a lot less oriented towards this so I'd say you have a better shot there if you were to try for a third go-around.

FWIW, I'm in the 2-pager camp. All the other schools I'm applying to have specified the two page maximum, which I take to mean you won't be penalized for submitting within that. I'm applying to DC, not Bologna, so I'll just go with 2.

Was anyone else admitted? Feel free to PM - it would be nice to connect with some other prospective students.

Does anyone have thoughts about G-town's new MA program in Global Human Development? Specifically I would like any thoughts on: How it compares to/differs from the traditional MSFS degree How many resources it will have at its disposal as a brand new program, whether or not 'newness' will result in chaos re: curriculum, courses, advising, etc. How quant and economics-heavy it will be Whether they are hiring new professors or utilizing current ones Whether students will get to choose their summer field projects, or will they be assigned (http://sfs.georgetown.edu/ghd/summer/228385.html), and whether the projects will be in teams or individual Whether there will be more or less aid (if anyone has thoughts about the generosity of SFS aid in general, please share) Thank you in advance!

Share in the anxiety -- I don't know of any forums and there seems to be very little information about what is happening. I would take their notice at face-value though and assume that the decision (either + or -) is not going to come out until the new year. Maybe the delay is a result of a huge boom in applications...? :-/ This fellowship app was a very intense amount of work, but I think even the best of candidates understand it is a total crapshoot. I applied in parallel with the grad school app process without being first admitted to schools, so that alone might be a big factor against me?

Yes, it seems to depend on what you want to get out of your degree. If you are very quant-heavy already but want a solid background in public management for example, or a regional specialty in the international realm, then you may be better off going to a program that is known for those things (Fletcher, with its MIB program and Georgetown SFS with its regional specialties come to mind). HKS is actually extremely economics and econometrics heavy and I do not think it has a qualitative program reputation by any means. As for the salary question...200k-300k seems very steep for both the public and nonprofit sectors. The federal job salary tiers previously mentioned do not go up to $200k even at the highest tier and step in the most expensive city (federal pay is adjusted by region). And I'm pretty sure only executive directors at non-profits make even $100k+ range salaries. Consulting might be your best bet for pay + interesting issues with personal reward, though I would argue that the latter is always the more important of the two.